Summer Schedule

I don’t know about you, but our summers are busy!  Regardless of that fact, I still get a restless, whiny little man.  It equivalent of “Mom, I’m bored!” for people who have kids that can form complete sentences.  Hopefully, this will give you somewhere to turn when your kiddos utter that dreaded phrase.

You will need:

• Calendars for the months of June, July and August (you can print them off in Microsoft Word or use the blank templates below.)
• An extra sheet of paper and a pen for making a list
• Soccer ball, basketball or other game to play outside

Song:  Oh, What Do You Do In The Summertime? (Children’s Songbook, pg 245)

Lesson:  Start off by asking your family what fun things you’ve done in the past that they really enjoyed and would enjoy doing again or new things your family would like to try.  Make a list of everything that is suggested, from bowling and picnics in the park to Disney World. 
After you have your list made, pull out your calendars.  If you have plans already made and scheduled, write those down first.  Things like family reunions, vacations, work trips, weddings, ect.  If your kids are in sports, write down that schedule too.  Don’t schedule everything out, but schedule in some family time.  Shoot for once a week, at least.

Activity:  Take the kids outside and let them play a game of soccer or basketball or tag.

Treat:  Serve your family's favorite summer time treat.  This could be anything from Jell-O, watermelon slices, or s'mores.

The Father of Our Home

With Father's Day quickly approaching, I thought a lesson on fathers would be appropriate.  I realize not all families have the traditional dad in the home.  Adjust the lesson as needed to fit your situation.  Here we go:

You Will Need:

• A copy of The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  
• Enough blank cards (or paper to make cards) for each person, minus Dad.  
• Crayons, markers, pencils, and other card embellishing paraphernalia to decorate your cards with.   
• The story Showing Love, by Chad E. Phares from the June 2011 issue of The Children's Friend magazine.

Song:  Daddy's Homecoming (Children's Songbook, pg.210), Love is Spoken Here (CSB, pg. 190), or My Dad (CSB, pg 211).

Lesson:  Begin by asking your family what are some things they love about their Dad.  Then ask what kinds of things their Dad does for them or helps them do.  Read the paragraph in The Family: A Proclamation to the World that talks about a father's role.  It is located in the paragraph that begins "The family is ordained of God." about halfway through the paragraph.  It is also pasted below, although it may be more meaningful if you actually read it from the proclamation.

By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.  - The Family, A Proclamation to the World.

Read the story "Showing Love", by Chad E. Phares.  After you are finished talk about the way your dad helps and serves his family.  Point out the ways he fulfills his role as described in the Family Proclamation.

Activity:  Give each member of your family, except dad, a card or blank piece of paper.  Set out the crayons and other supplies you have gathered.  Instruct them write down something they would like to tell Dad.  It can be a favorite memory, qualities about him, special things he does to help and make his family a priority, ect.  Younger kids can draw a picture.  Even my 20 month old loves to color.  While the family is writing their cards, ask Dad to share some of his favorite memories.  They can be of your family (special vacations, memories of his children, ect) or from his childhood (things he enjoyed doing with his dad).

After everyone is finished with their cards.  Give them to dad or save them to give on Father's Day.

Treat:  Dad's favorite treat.

Goal!

This week's FHE is on goals.  Being still right around the first of the year, it seems appropriate.

Prep:  A sheet of paper for each member of your family or a copy or two of the "My Goals This Week" worksheet found below.  A large sheet of poster board. 

Lesson:  Start off by telling the story of Lot and his wife to your family.  The story can be found in Genesis 19.  Lot and his wife lived at the time of Sodom and Gomorrah, two very wicked cities.  The Lord warned Lot and his family to flee the city, as it was about to be destroyed.  He told them to go and not look back.  Lot and his family were less than immediately obedient.  They barely escaped the destruction with their lives.  When the Lord cautioned them not to look back, He was telling them to repent of any wicked doings they had committed and to move on with life in a righteous and wholesome direction.  Lot's wife did not obey.  Not only did she look back, her grievous sin was that she wanted to go back.

In the January 2010 Ensign, Elder Jeffrey R Holland gave a message entitled The Best Is Yet To Be.  He speaks about how faith is an action that can only be completed by looking forward, to the future.  You can't have faith pertaining to things that have already past.  For example, you must have faith that prayers can and will be answered before they are actually answered.  Otherwise, you simply reap the blessing and not the blessing and the testimony.  He gives council on forgiveness, forgetting and leaving the past in the past, and looking forward to the future with anticipation and faith.

Goals help us do just that.  By setting goals, we are giving ourselves something to work towards.  Goals are things of the future, not the past.

Activity:  Have each family member make a list of goals to accomplish over the next week.  These should be plausible and not impossible to accomplish.  Things such as "doing all my chores without being asked" or "cleaning out the junk drawer" are good examples.  Don't set a goal so lofty there is no hope of getting it done.  "Deep cleaning the house" is probably not a good week-long goal.  Then, as a family, set some more long-term goals.  Write them on the poster board.  What would you like to accomplish this summer?  A household project?  A vacation?  Whatever it is set the goal to accomplish it.  Then comes the important part... make a plan on how you will get it marked off your "To Do List".  If it's a vacation that you need to save up for, maybe the goal of collecting $10 a week from the family is a good goal.  Kids can take some of their allowances (if they get them) and put them aside to help pay for the expenses of a vacation.  Or make a deal that they won't get to buy anything from the store, but instead put that money into the vacation fund.  You will have to figure out what works for your family.  If you are incredibly ambitious make a family 101 in 1001.  Or make Bucket Lists.  Remember, whatever the goal is, make sure it is something that is attainable.

Treat:  Ice Cream Sundaes or a cute football or soccer themed cake.  If you do a cake, you can use a cake mix, vanilla frosting colored green and black licorice to make the the markings on the field.